Vale will give Richard Duffy every chance to take part in the game against Sheffield United, but his prospects of playing do not look good.

Duffy has not training since being injured in the match against Rotherham and if the centre-half is unable to make it, it would leave Vale with only three senior recognised defenders.

We are going to give him as long as we possibly can before we even attempt to get him up and running…

If Duffy is unable to make it, winger Ryan Lloyd could fill in at left-back with Dickinson moving to the centre or Vale could even opt to give a debut to youth teamer Nathan Smith, who has been on the bench in recent games.

Manager Micky Adams told the official website: “We are waiting for Richard Duffy for the Sheffield United game – since Monday he has not been able to do any sort of training at all, but we are going to give him as long as we possibly can before we even attempt to get him up and running.

“That effectively gives us three fit defenders, so we are down to the bare bones in that department , but on the plus side we have got Chris Lines back from suspension.

“There is nobody who is going to come out of the treatment room and suddenly appear, so we are not going to spring a surprise on people.

“Yates, Robertson and Dickinson are the three fit defenders that we have got available to us and we will have to come up with a plan.”